Engines are generally used to operate various types of machines. An engine typically idles during periods when no substantial loads are applied on it, for example, when the machine is stationary. Long idle durations of the engine in cold ambient conditions may lead to ice formation in the engine. In particular, extended idle under extreme cold conditions may lead to ice formation in the intake manifold. The ice forms in the intake manifold when moisture is present. Intake manifold icing may impair combustion, leading to excessive hydrocarbon creation. This may in turn cause other problems such as valve sticking.
One attempt to control the amount of moisture that may form in the intake manifold is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,530,336 of Brecheisen II that issued on May 12, 2009 (the '336 patent). The '336 patent provides an engine intake condensation removal system that bypasses flow around a charge air cooler (CAC), and controls the amount of bypass flow to heat fluid flow from the CAC to a temperature higher than the dew point of the fluid flowing through the engine intake. Another attempt to control the amount of fluid flowing to the engine intake is disclosed in PCT Published Application No. 2013175091 A1 (the '091 publication). The '091 publication discloses an internal combustion engine including an air intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, a plurality of cylinders each having a combustion chamber, and a recirculation conduit capable of re-injecting all the exhaust gases from the combustion chamber of at least one of the cylinders, referred to as the EGR-dedicated cylinder, into the air intake manifold. The engine further includes a control system configured to temporarily inhibit combustion inside the combustion chamber of the EGR-dedicated cylinder. The invention is also related to the associated method for controlling the recirculation of gases.
Although the methods disclosed in the '336 patent and the '091 publication may help to reduce the amount of moisture that may form in the engine intake, they may still not be sufficient to account for intake icing caused by moisture reaching the intake manifold under a wide range of temperature conditions during idle operations.
The system and method of the present disclosure solves one or more problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.